


Back and Forth; Slow and Steady

by Awesomepie3221



Category: LazyTown
Genre: Dancing, M/M, the waltz, there's a record player too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 12:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12409944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awesomepie3221/pseuds/Awesomepie3221
Summary: Robbie moved slow and steady, but he felt like a waterfall.





	Back and Forth; Slow and Steady

**Author's Note:**

> Heavily inspired by Slow and Steady by Of Monsters and Men, which if you haven't heard, please go listen to it. Actually, just listen to all of OMaM's music because it is amazing.

When I take a step backwards, you take one forwards. Switch your feet in a steady rythm. Left, right, left, right. Now we take a side step, almost like a diamond. Ow, okay, don’t fall out of rhythm. That’s all this is, simple rhythm.

That was how Robbie managed to teach Sportacus how to do a crappy version of the waltz in less than ten minutes. He was appalled when he found out the pink thing hadn’t taught Sportacus such a simple dance, but even more surprised that Sportacus didn’t know it from dances as a teenager.

“How am I doing?” Sportacus asked, completely focused at staring at their feet. Robbie had managed to push Sportacus’s chin up once, but that lasted less than a minute and Sportacus was focused on their feet again. He seemed to be determined to not step on Robbie’s foot again, but it hadn’t hurt much the first time, so Robbie didn’t quite understand Sportacus’s motivation.

“Just fine,” Robbie responded. He wanted to smile, to feel the excitement of his dream of dancing with Sportacus coming true, but instead he felt.. desperate for something he didn’t know of.

The record cracked behind them, the slow jazz music reminding Robbie that he was real, even if he didn’t feel it. The record continued its fast spin, unlike them, who were now slowly moving back and forth over anything else. This time Robbie didn’t try to create the diamond shape, deciding that the rhythm was good enough as slow and steady.

Robbie didn’t realize when he let Sportacus start leading, as it wasn’t intentional, but he did nothing to fix it. Sportacus was born a natural leader, he was always going to overtake Robbie in what they did. Robbie was born an accidental leader, he lead when he wanted something that no one else was going to follow. Maybe that was called manipulation, but he didn’t dwell on it.

Back and forth, that was how Sportacus decided this dance should be. Slow and steady; back and forth.

“What’s wrong?” came Sportacus and Robbie hadn’t even realized he had looked up from their feet.

“Huh?” Robbie tried, but he could tell Sportacus wouldn’t dismiss it nor believe any lie. Robbie looked away and tried to speed up the dance as a distraction. Sportacus didn’t let him in the same way he didn’t let them move in a diamond.

“You can tell me, Robbie,” Sportacus said, in a sweet yet demanding voice. It was such a Sportacus way to say something and Robbie’s stomach clenched.

Back and forth; slow and steady.

Suddenly the desperation Robbie felt had words to go with it and before Robbie could chicken out, he said, “Why do you put up with me?”

Sportacus’s next step faltered, but he quickly found the beat again. Robbie tried to make them move in the proper circle, but Sportacus unconsciously resisted.

“What do you mean?” Sportacus coaxed.

“You’re so.. athletic and healthy and everyone loves you and no one can get annoyed at you, but I’m chubby and get out of breath easily and everyone would be happy if I left town and yet you’re dating me. Why?”

Sportacus wasn’t thrown off again as judging by his steps, but he wasn’t quick to respond either. The record popped again, and the music started slowing down, until it completely stopped. It needed to be flipped to the other side. Instead, they continued their dance. Sportacus was doing fine without the beat of the music and in a fleeting moment, Robbie was proud of him.

“I’ve never thought any of that before. When I look at you, I see all the skills that I don’t possess. I see your beautiful costumes, your genius machines, and the gorgeous makeup you put on every day. I see how you can style your hair perfectly, and you can bake a delicious cake that I wish I could try, or how you think of so many different ideas each day while I can’t even make up my own game.

"You have a lot of talents and just because you lack muscle where I have it or you tried to run me out of town does not make you a worse person than me. I have faults too, they just aren’t as far up on the surface as yours. My good traits are for anyone to see, yours require a little digging. That never once made me think you were a bad person.”

The record was almost silent, just popping, but neither noticed anymore. Sportacus stared into Robbie’s grey eyes, pleading for him to understand, but to Robbie, Sportacus was only blurry. He stopped moving and Sportacus was forced to stop with him.

“Please understand you are worth more than you think,” Sportacus tried again.

Robbie nodded, it was all he could do as he felt the first tear slide down his cheek. Before he knew what was happening, Sportacus pulled him into a tight hug, his chin resting on Robbie’s shoulder.

“I love you, Robbie, don’t forget that.”

With a choked breath, Robbie replied, “I love you too.” and he could almost feel the smile that pushed Sportacus’s cheeks up into his eyes, creating the crinkles that made Robbie feel alive every time he was the cause.

Robbie wrapped his arms around Sportacus’s waist, his hands resting in the small of his back, and Robbie sighed into the comfort. True to his leadership ability, Sportacus started walking back and forth again, but not in the diamond shape. Robbie let it happen.

Back and forth, and slow and steady to the popping of the record player, but the true victory of the night wasn’t teaching Sportacus how to waltz, it was teaching Robbie how to love himself a little more each day.


End file.
